Chapter 346: The Gate of Laws

On this day, in the dense forest, Duan Rong, who was sitting cross-legged on a bluestone, suddenly let out a long whistle. The impassioned energy within his dantian and meridians clashed and surged, then fused and settled, gathering into a mass of energy that seemed to solidify, lurking within his dantian...

After refining the fifth bottle of Zhengyang Pill, Duan Rong finally achieved the First Layer of the True Qi Realm.

A look of joy appeared in his eyes as he leaped up from the large bluestone, and in mid-air, with a *whoosh*, he drew the Minghong Saber.

In the dense forest, Duan Rong performed the Ku Rong Ban Ruo Dao, one stance after another.

Having achieved the First Layer, the power of the Ku Rong Ban Ruo Dao had significantly improved.

As Duan Rong's saber rose and fell, his True Qi billowed, and a faint, strange whistling sound of wind-tearing echoed in the air.

That was the sound of the friction and agitation between the True Qi emitted by the saber blade and the air.

Duan Rong practiced it three times in a row, then stood still with his saber sheathed. He looked up at the sky through the gaps in the trees and muttered, "Looks like it's time to head to the Stone Workshop."

When Duan Rong arrived at the Stone Workshop, Ximen Kankan had not yet finished his work.

Ximen Kankan walked out of the fiery cave carrying a large iron hammer.

He propped the large iron hammer against the ground, wiped his sweat with a blackened towel draped over his shoulder, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "Didn't you just come by a few days ago? Why are you here again? What? Do you miss me that much?"

Duan Rong glared at Ximen Kankan and said, "Who the hell misses you! Are you sick in the head?"

Ximen Kankan gave a strange laugh and said, "Then why did you come again?"

Duan Rong said, "I have business here. Take me to that cave where the discarded weapons are piled up again."

Ximen Kankan gave Duan Rong a strange look. Last time, Duan Rong had rummaged through that cave full of junk for quite a while, and now he wanted to go again.

"It's right over there. No one manages that place, just go yourself," Ximen Kankan said, turning his head and gesturing toward the direction of the cave with his chin.

"Alright then." Duan Rong glanced at a certain cave there; he actually knew the place, he was just greeting Ximen Kankan. "After you finish your shift, come find me there."

"Fine!" Ximen Kankan said, "Why are you so obsessed with rummaging through that pile of junk? Why don't you just come work for us collecting junk? The Stone Workshop is short on hands right now!"

"I'll collect you first!" Duan Rong cursed, then turned and walked away.

Ximen Kankan laughed, "You actually called me junk! You better watch your ass!?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong's face immediately darkened.

The first time he came to the Stone Workshop, this guy had ambushed him and kicked him in the ass. But Ximen Kankan saying this now didn't just mean that! He was throwing the words he used to tease Jiang Qingyu back at him?!

Duan Rong suddenly bent over, turned around, grabbed a stone from beside his feet, and threw it at Ximen Kankan.

As soon as Ximen Kankan saw Duan Rong's movement, he immediately hunched his shoulders and ducked his head. He only heard a "swish" sound above his head, and the stone smashed into the stone wall behind him, causing stone chips to clatter down...

"You're playing for real?!" Ximen Kankan looked at the stone chips still peeling off the wall behind him, touched the top of his head with his hand, and felt a lingering fear.

"Who told you to have such a foul mouth!?"

Duan Rong bent down and grabbed another stone.

Ximen Kankan had already shouldered his large iron hammer and scurried into the blacksmithing cave in a flash.

Duan Rong threw the stone in his hand into a corner, clapped the dust off his hands, and said, "Consider yourself lucky you ran fast."

Duan Rong arrived outside the cave where the discarded weapons were stored. At the entrance, he picked up a torch, took the Fire Folder from the inner pocket of his robe, and lit the torch.

Duan Rong held the torch high and walked into the pitch-black cave.

After passing through a pitch-black corridor, he arrived at the heart of the cave.

Under the illumination of the torch, Duan Rong looked at the piles of discarded weapons that looked like small mountains before him, and his heart still could not help but feel excited.

To others, this was just pile after pile of trash, but to him, these were piles of Secret Manuals.

No, even more high-end than Secret Manuals.

Secret Manuals still had to be practiced.

After he used the ability to devour the Spirit Tool to consume and digest these artifact spirits, he would gain the realm directly.

Although internal energy still required him to refine and accumulate it to achieve success.

But with the ready-made realm and proficient methods of circulating internal energy, his speed had already far exceeded that of ordinary people, and even those so-called gifted individuals in the general sense found it difficult to keep pace with him.

What's more, the current Duan Rong had already achieved the Eleventh Layer of the Womb Treasury Sutra.

His Mental Power level had already reached level twelve, which meant he could devour Twelfth Tier artifact spirits.

Twelfth Tier artifact spirits! In the past, he wouldn't have even dared to think about it.

Duan Rong calculated that the First Layer of the True Qi Realm was a Fourth Tier artifact spirit.

Then the Fourth Layer of the True Qi Realm was a Seventh Tier artifact spirit.

And the Twelfth Tier artifact spirit he could devour was already at the First Stage of the Qi Cyclone Realm.

Duan Rong glanced at the few figures working in the depths of the cave in the distance; those people clearly hadn't noticed him at all.

Duan Rong stuck the torch in his hand onto the stone wall not far away, turned around, and walked to a pile of discarded weapons that looked like a small mountain.

Duan Rong looked up at the pile of discarded weapons that was much taller than him, a clear light flashing in his eyes. "I wonder if I can devour martial arts of the Qi Cyclone Realm?"

Duan Rong knew that martial arts of the Qi Cyclone Realm were already called supreme arts!

It could be said to be the highest realm of martial arts.

Above the Qi Cyclone Realm was the Dongming Realm.

For experts who reached the Dongming Realm, their cultivation was no longer within the scope of martial arts.

Experts of the Dongming Realm comprehended Law Power.

Just like that person in a black cloak who interrogated him in the Dungeon of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, that person should be an expert of the Dongming Realm.

At this moment, Duan Rong still clearly remembered that feeling of helpless terror. The moment that person raised their hand, his entire body couldn't move.

At that time, Duan Rong felt that the space around him had been frozen by some kind of bizarre power.

And the only thing unaffected was his Divine Soul. He could still think at that time.

That was clearly some kind of Law Power he could not understand.

However, Law Power was still too far away for the current Duan Rong.

What he was thinking about now was that if he could devour a Twelfth Tier artifact spirit, it would be the First Layer realm of a supreme art.

If that were the case, he would also be able to catch a glimpse of the profound mysteries of supreme arts.

The difference between supreme arts and ordinary martial arts like Greater Vehicle, Middle Vehicle, and Lesser Vehicle lies in the fact that to practice supreme arts, one must comprehend Artistic Conception, such as Sword Intent, Blade Intent, and so on.

In fact, the threshold for advancing from the Qi Cyclone Realm to the Dongming Realm lies in whether a Martial Artist can initially grasp Law Power from the deepest reaches of the Sword Intent and Blade Intent they have comprehended, thereby advancing to the Dongming Realm.

Therefore, these supreme art Artistic Conceptions, like Sword Intent and Blade Intent, are actually channels leading to the Dongming Realm.

In other words, the deepest part of Artistic Conception is the gate to Law Power!

It is just that those who can push open this gate are as rare as morning stars.

If Duan Rong were to devour a Twelfth Tier Spirit Tool, wouldn't he also be able to comprehend an initial Artistic Conception after digesting and absorbing it?

Artistic Conception is not internal energy, but something at the level of the Divine Soul. As long as he devours and digests it, he can obtain it immediately.

Duan Rong's heart palpitated, but his face remained expressionless as he bent down to pick up a dust-covered Ring-Pommel Saber with a chipped blade from beside his feet.

The Ring-Pommel Saber is also a quite popular type of blade in this realm, with its hilt featuring a characteristic ring.

Duan Rong pressed his hand against the ring, gripped the hilt tightly, and thought to himself, "Spirit Reader!"

Inside the dim cave, a set of data immediately appeared before his eyes.

Artifact: Ring-Pommel Saber

Spirit Artifact Tier: Sixth Tier

Devouring Requirement: Host Mental Power Level 6 (Satisfied)

Devouring Effect: Yuyi Saber Third Layer

Duan Rong looked at the data panel before him and thought to himself, "A Sixth Tier Spirit Tool. A True Qi Realm martial art."

Although Duan Rong very much wanted to devour a Twelfth Tier Spirit Tool to get an initial taste of the supreme Artistic Conception of Sword Intent or Blade Intent, he was not crazy after all; given his current level of cultivation, True Qi Realm martial arts were what he needed most.

"Devour!"

As the data panel before his eyes dissipated and vanished, Duan Rong threw the Ring-Pommel Saber in his hand behind him with a clatter.

These were originally discarded weapons; once Duan Rong devoured their Spirit Tool, they truly became junk.

Duan Rong bent down and grabbed another discarded weapon...

After Ximen Kankan finished his shift, he washed his face, wiped the foul sweat from his neck, chest, and back with a blackened towel, changed his clothes, and went to the cave where the discarded weapons were piled up to find Duan Rong.

Ximen Kankan adapted quickly; it had only been two months or so, and he had completely adapted to life here.

He walked into the cave and immediately saw a cluster of firelight not far from the cave entrance.

Ximen Kankan walked over and saw Duan Rong standing in front of a small mountain-like pile of discarded weapons, continuously grabbing weapons into his hands. Duan Rong would only give the weapon a brief squeeze before throwing it behind him.

And behind him, there was already another pile of discarded weapons half a person high.

Ximen Kankan's expression was one of astonishment, and a look of doubt flashed in his eyes.

"What... what is he doing?"

Last time, he had found it strange. But this time, the doubt in his heart was even deeper, and he even felt that Duan Rong was a little insane.

No, not a little. He felt that Duan Rong seemed to have gone mad.

Ximen Kankan walked slowly to a spot not far from Duan Rong and shouted, "What are you doing?"

Duan Rong turned his head to glance at him and said, "You're off shift! Wait for me a moment, I reckon I'm almost done."

Seeing that Duan Rong spoke normally, Ximen Kankan felt slightly relieved.

He walked to Duan Rong's side, leaned on his shoulder, and touched his head.

"What are you doing?!"

Duan Rong shook off his hand and smashed a severed bronze mace in his hand into the pile of weapons behind him with a clatter.

The bronze mace knocked off the three or four chipped blades at the very top of the pile.

Ximen Kankan looked suspicious and said, "Let me see if you've burned your brain. Can you tell me what you are doing? Moving house for these discarded weapons?"

"No," Duan Rong said, "I'm calling for reinforcements (old weapons)."

Duan Rong felt he had made a pretty bad pun and chuckled.

Ximen Kankan kept a straight face, clearly having no reaction to this cold joke.

Duan Rong ignored him and continued to grab the discarded weapons one by one from in front of him.

Ximen Kankan stood to the side and watched for a while longer; he noticed that Duan Rong's eyes were very bright and focused.

After a while, Ximen Kankan walked up and grabbed Duan Rong's wrist.

Duan Rong turned his head to look at Ximen Kankan.

Ximen Kankan said, "I don't want to disturb you. I just don't quite understand. Can you tell me what exactly you are doing?"

Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan's serious expression, blinked, and said, "Kankan, do you know that all things have spirits?"

Ximen Kankan was a bit bewildered, then nodded with some certainty. "I know. The shamans all say that."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "These weapons all have spirits. I am communicating with the spirits. Understand?"

As Duan Rong spoke, he threw the weapon in his hand behind him and pulled another one out from the pile of discarded weapons.

"Communicating with spirits?"

Ximen Kankan savored Duan Rong's nonsense, rolled his eyes, and said, "You mean to say you are talking to these discarded weapons?"

Hearing this, Duan Rong laughed and said, "You could say that."

After he devoured the Spirit Tool and digested and absorbed it, it merged into his own Divine Soul, which was equivalent to the Spirit Tool telling him about its various experiences through the ages.

Duan Rong felt that Ximen Kankan's description was also a pretty good way to put it.

Just then, a line of glaring, red-flashing text suddenly appeared on the data panel before Duan Rong's eyes.

"Devouring failed. Relevant area of the Divine Sense Space is full."

Duan Rong threw away the Long Sword in his hand and let out a long sigh; it seemed today's task was complete.

"But after devouring so many..." Duan Rong turned his head to look at the small pile of weapons behind him that was already about as tall as he was. "Never mind a Twelfth Tier Spirit Tool. He didn't even manage to devour a Seventh Tier one. Among this batch of weapons, the highest-tier Spirit Tool he devoured was actually only Sixth Tier, merely the True Qi Realm Third Layer."

Duan Rong decided to stop here for today, have a good rest, digest the Spirit Tool swallowed into his Divine Soul space, and then come back to swallow the second batch.

Duan Rong patted Ximen Kankan on the shoulder and said, "Where are you staying?"

Although Duan Rong had already achieved the eleventh level of the Womb Treasury Sutra, after swallowing so many Weapon Spirits, his head still felt a bit swollen.

"What, are you planning to stay the night?" Ximen Kankan said with a strange look in his eyes.

Duan Rong laughed and said, "Don't worry. I reckon one night won't be enough. You'd better wash your ass clean."

Ximen Kankan pulled up his pants and said, "You're actually eyeing my ass?! You old pervert!"

"Damn it! Who was it that kicked me from behind when I wasn't paying attention last time?"

"When was that? How come I don't know about it?"

"Stop playing dumb with me!?"

The two of them chatted and joked as they walked out of the cave.

Seeing that Duan Rong had no problems at all when he spoke, Ximen Kankan cast the strange incident in the cave to the back of his mind. After all, back in Xiangu County, there were plenty of strange things about Duan Rong; as long as he wasn't truly possessed, it was fine.

The two arrived at a simple cave where Ximen Kankan lived.

Ximen Kankan said, "Let's go into the woods and catch some game for dinner."

Duan Rong waved his hand and said, "You go. I'm going to sleep."

As he spoke, Duan Rong actually walked to the depths of the cave, lay down on the stone bed, covered his head with a blanket, and fell fast asleep.

Seeing Duan Rong play dead as soon as he returned, Ximen Kankan cursed, "You're actually going to freeload! You lazy maggot! Fine, I'll forgive you this once."

Ximen Kankan had no choice but to go into the woods himself, catch some game, and roast it at the cave entrance.

(End of chapter)